"Made In USA" Labeling Influences Purchases

About 80% Of U.S. Consumers Recognize "Made In The USA" Labeling

Sep 18, 2012 – by Counselor

The vast majority of U.S. shoppers who notice a packaging claim that a product is "Made in the USA" are more likely to purchase that item, a new survey from firm Perception Research Services International (PRS) shows. According to PRS data, about 80% of U.S. consumers recognize "Made in the USA" labeling and 76% say that designation positively influences their eventual purchasing decisions.

"Whether it is for quality assurance, to boost the economy, or out of patriotism, buying American-made products is becoming quite fashionable among U.S. shoppers," says Jonathan Asher, executive vice president of PRS. "Particularly for products that are ingested such as food, beverages and medicines – if you make it here, make that clear – that is, include a 'Made in the USA' mention on your package so that shoppers are aware of that fact."

While U.S. shoppers value American-made products, PRS data shows they have generally negative feelings toward items that are labeled as "Made in China." In fact, about 57% say they are less likely to purchase products that are manufactured in the Asian country, mostly because of quality and safety concerns. Even Chinese consumers don't view "Made in China" products with great enthusiasm – just 58% are positively influenced by that labeling claim, PRS found.

Among age groups, shoppers that are over 35 years old are both the most likely to be positively influenced by "Made in the USA" claims and most likely to be negatively influenced by "Made in China" claims. Researchers aren't quite sure why young shoppers are less influenced by a product's country of origin, although they cite cost as a possible factor. Overall, considering all respondents, shoppers who view "Made in China" products positively do so because the items are less expensive, researchers say.